Andrew Roberts

Profile/Portfolio

In my personal and professional life, I most enjoy opportunities where I can perform a role of service. To me it’s not just a personal inclination to work in service to others, but a duty every individual must carry out. The great teachers of East and West always tell us of the importance of selfless service not only as a duty in our life, but as a means of purifying and strengthening ourselves.

I graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA where I studied Music Education and Performance. I’ve had a variety of roles in education and the non-profit sector, including:

AmeriCorps VISTA Community Resource Coordinator and AmeriCorps Youth Program Coordinator in Houston, TX
Middle and high school general music and percussion ensemble teacher in Santa Cruz, Galapagos
Private music teacher at a youth conservatory in Houston, TX and online
Special education assistant and music enrichment founder/facilitator in San Jose, CA
Tutor for at-risk students in California, Texas, Puerto Rico and online

I enjoy applying Agile project management and Lean methodologies to help programs grow and improve and have a Green Belt certification in Lean Six Sigma.

I grew up in Ecuador so I'm fluent in Spanish, and I did a study abroad in Brazil so I speak intermediate Portuguese. I am learning Mandarin Chinese online at a casual pace.

I currently live in Puerto Rico.

He’s a person who transmits so much peace to those around him. He’s able to convince you that you’re doing the right things, and he always makes you feel better. He’s really wise and always has something helpful to say...Undoubtedly, he’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had and the one of the best people I’ve ever met.

-Kelly, Former Student

Andrew has a lot of patience with beginners and knows exactly how to provide the tools they need to learn and practice the subject.

-Martin, Former Student

As Director of the Scalesia Foundation, I was able to evaluate closely the work of Andrew, who demonstrated great commitment to education with a search for creative alternatives...His capacity to propose solutions for academic problems, logistics and human resources allowed his presence to have a great impact and palpable results that were applauded by parents and teachers of the institution. Besides being a great teacher, Andrew is an exceptional human being that, among other things, headed the organization of extracurricular courses in Chi Kung and percussion, without receiving much more in return than the satisfaction of enriching the island community.

-Reyna Oleas, MBA

Volunteer Experience

Websites

Airtable Database Sample

Photography

Beginner's Mind

I believe in constant self-improvement. In Zen terms, this may be referred to as maintaining a "beginner's mind." In the West, this has recently become known as "continuous improvement" or "growth mindset." However one refers to this process, our own personal development is our greatest offering to society.

In business, the same concept is sometimes referred to using the Japanese term kaizen, made popular by Toyota. Kaizen translates as "change for the better" and implies this idea of constant improvement. Because I'm always looking to better myself, I naturally apply the same philosophy to all my work, be it professional or otherwise.

Chi Kung, Zen and Vedanta

I've been practicing meditative arts since 2005, focusing on Chi Kung (Qigong), Zen and Vedanta. I've attended Chi Kung and Zen courses in Ecuador, Costa Rica, USA and Malaysia and have organized courses in the Galapagos Islands and San Francisco, CA. I'm authorized by my teacher, Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit, to teach Chi Kung as part of the Shaolin Wahnam Institute.